The present invention relates to an apparatus for cutting wood and more particularly, to an apparatus which, in a single stage operation, cuts the ends of thin sheets of wood veneer and splices the cut sheets.
In the manufacture of wall coverings made of wood veneers, and the like, sheets of wood veneer are cut so they can easily be spliced end-to-end and then rolled for further use. One of the two most common means of making these wood veneer rolls is to first cut sheets of wood veneer using appropriate cutting dies, into what is referred to as "flame-cut" or "finger joint cuts" and then piecing the sheets together, manually. In the cutting of the wood veneer, a "flame cut" piece is one wherein the cut resembles a flame and in a "finger joint cut" piece, all of the longitudinally extending cut portions of the wood are of the same length and shape. With both, the "flame cut" and "finger joint cut", similar cut pieces can be fitted together wherein the longitudinally extending portions of the cut of one piece fit in the corresponding spacings between the longitudinally extending portions of the piece.
In one prior art means for cutting and splicing, one female die and one male die are utilized, wherein the dies are transversely spaced apart with one of the dies being moveable and the other being stationary, whereby the moveable die moves in and out of mating relation with the stationary die. The spacing between the dies is sufficient for receiving a sheet of wood veneer therebetween. In cutting, each end of the wood veneer sheets are cut and the sheets are manually joined or fitted together. An adhesive tape-type material is placed along the joints of the pieces of wood veneer, on the back side thereof. The joints on the front or face of the joined pieces are then sanded. Upon applying numerous coats of coating materials to the face surface, the joint becomes substantially unnoticeable.
In a second means of cutting and splicing, a single machine is utilized, but in this machine there are two pairs of dies, in longitudinal spaced relation with each other. In the cutting operation, two sheets of wood veneer are laid end-to-end with spacing between the ends. One pair of dies cuts the end of one sheet of wood veneer and the other set of dies cuts the adjacent end of the other sheet. After the cutting operation, a stripper removes the excess pieces of wood at the end of each piece and a third operation is performed whereby pushing means are used to force the two cut ends together.
However, in both of the present means of joining wood veneer sheets, as discussed above, "pin holes" result in the juncture. These "pin holes" are the small holes in the joint formed at the terminating ends of the "fingers" or "flames". These "pin holes" are caused because the wood swells slightly as it is cut. The time from "cut" to "splice", even if only a very short period, such as the time delay between the stripping of the wood from the cut ends and the forcing of the two joints together, is a sufficient time for the wood to swell. This swelling, prior to the joining or splicing creates a situation where the cut is not exact and the terminating ends connecting with the adjacent piece leaves these tiny "pin" holes.